Lubricating apparatus



Sept. 5, 1939. E. w. DAVIS LUBRICATING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledJan. 11, 1937 Sept. 5, 1939. E. w. DAVIS wanrcmme APPARATUS 2 shetssheet 2 Filed Jan. 11; 1937 Patented Sept. 1939 LUBRICATING P Ernest W.Davis, Oak Park. Kilt,

gnor to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Hit, a corporatio'n ofVirga Application Januar -1r, 1937, Serial No. 119,915

ilCliaims. (on. ear-em My invention relates generally to lubricatingapparatus, and more particularly to an improved lubricant compressorwherein means are provided automatically to relieve the pressure in. thedis-= 5 charge conduit upon cessation of the operation ofthe,compressor.

In lubricant compressors of the high pressure type provided with adischarge conduit and 111- bricant pressure operated coupling means,difiiculty has been experienced in the past in relieving the pressure inthe discharge conduit so as to enable the coupler easily to bedisconnected from the fitting and to prevent oozing or dripping oi thelubricant from the coupler after ithas been disconnected-from thefitting.

When a lubricant compressor of the general type herein disclosed is usedfor the lubrication of a relatively tight bearing, the pressure ismaintained in the discharge conduit and coupler since the lubricantcannot flow into the bearingin the normal manner to relievethe pressure.

*It is thus an object of my invention to provide a lubricant compressorhaving improved means for automatically relieving the pressure in thedischarge hose and coupler connected to a lubricant compressor.

A further object is to provide a hand operate lubricant compressor withmeans for automatically relieving the pressure in the discharge conduitattached to the compressor whenever th operator releases the operatinghandle.

A further object is to provide hand operated lubricant compressors withmeans for lubricating the bearing on which the, compressor can beswiveled with relation to the reservoir.

I Other objects will appear from the following description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical-cross sectional view through the compressorand tank;

Fig. 2 is a view of the upper portion of the compressor,.similar to 1,showing he operating handle in elevated position'and the relief valveclosed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the handle taken on the line 33 of Fig.1;'and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the pump head bearing taken on the line4-4 of Fig. 1.

The compressor of my invention comprises a lubricant reservoir, having awall l9 which is elliptical in cross-section, a bottom wall I 2, and atop wall i4 having an enlarged elliptical filling opening l6 formedtherein. The walls of the reservoir are preferably of sheet metalandweld- ",5 ed .or otherwise suitably secured to each other.

A sheet metal foot plate is welded or otherwise suitably secured to thelower edge of thewall it and to the bottom E2 of the reservoir.

The lubricant compressing mechanism comprises a pipe-like cylinder 20,the lower end of 5 which has a foot valve cap 22 threaded thereon withinwhich a foot valve Ed is retained for enagement with a seat 25. The footvalve cap 22 is uided for rotational movement in the aperture of abracket 28 which may be welded or 10 otherwise secured to the inside ofthe reservoir wall it. The upper end of the compressor cylinder it has ashoulder 39 against which a washer 32 is clamped by the compressor head3:3 which is screwed to the upper end of the cylinder 20. 15 The lowerend of the head as is provided with an annular groove as and looselyengages the edge of the top M surrounding the aperture therein throughwhich the. cylinder 20 projects, thereby forming a bearing 31 upon whichthe 20 compressor head can be swiveled. The compressor cylinder 2@ andhead iii are thus freely rotatable with respect to the reservoir. Acover as is welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the head at and isadapted to cover the filling open- 25 ing It formed in the top I l ofthe reservoir.

A piston til is reciprocable in a cylindrical bore it formed at thelower end of the cylinder 20 and has a valve seat is formed about theopening in the bottom of the piston. A valve 50 car- 30 ried by a pistonrod 52 is adapted to engage the seat d8 upon the upstroke of the pistonrod and to move away from said seat upon the downward stroke of thepiston rod in a manner well known in compressor construction. The upperend of. 35 the piston rod 52 is sealed in its passage through the head33 by a hat-shaped packing ring' 56, held in place by a packing gland58. The upper end of the piston rod is pivotally connected to theend ofa handle by a pivot pin 62, the 40 handle being pivoted on a suitablyformed link which is pivotally mounted on a pin 66 which projectsthrough a stud 68 on the head 34.

- The link 64 has an arm ill which projects substantially horizontallybeneath the handle 60 and '45 which serves as a handle by which thecompressor may be carried. The end of the arm 10 engages the handle 60on its downward movement, thereby limiting the downward stroke of thehandle. The discharge conduit I2 leading from 50 the compressor to acoupler I I, which in a lubricating operation is fitted to a lubricatingfitting 15, communicates with the chamber '16 around the piston rod 52through the tapped opening 18 iormed within the head 34. Extendingobliquely 66 I tioned a ball check valve 02, which normally rests uponthe valve seat 82. The lower surface of the head 36 has a shallowannular groove 9Q which communicates with the chamber 90 through apassageway 96. This groove 9% is covered by the washer 32 which is heldagainst the lower surface'of the pump head 34 in the manner prea meansof a pivot pin H0.

viously described. The washer 32 has a slot 08, best shown in Fig. 4,through which the groove 94 communicates with the inside of the tank I0.

Near the end'of the handle 60 is a pin I that anchors the casing of theBowden wire 88 to the handle 00. From the pin I00 the actuating wire I02extends outwardly and is fastened to a terminal screw I0 1 which isthreaded to a pin I06. By means of this pivot pin I06, the wire I02 ispivotally connected with the pressure release control handle I08, thecontrol handle I08 being pivotally connected with the operating handle60 by Between the pins I00 and I06 and surrounding the screw IN! is acoil spring II2 held in compression against the pin I00 by a nut Ildonthe screw I06 so that the spring I I2 when normally extended will pullthe wire I02 outwardly, thereby forcing the handle I 08 away from thehandle 60 and pulling the inner end of the Bowden wire I02 away from theball valve 92.

In prior constructions of the type described, there have beendisadvantages arising from the fact that after a greasing operation itis difiicult to remove the coupler 10 from the lubricant receivingfitting I because of the high pressure on the lubricant in the line I2.After the coupler I4 is disconnected from the fitting, lubricant islikely to drip from the coupler because of slight contraction of thehose I2 andbecause flexing the hose incidental to moving it to adifferent fitting squeezes some of the lubricant from the hose.

The present invention obviatesv this dificulty by releasing the pressurein thehose I2 before the coupling IQ is removed from the fitting I5 inthe following manner:

After the coupler it is fastened to the fitting, I

the handle 60 is grasped with the fingers extending around the leverI08. Consequently, when the fingers grip the handle in a natural manner,the lever I08 will be squeezed against the handle 60. This squeezing ofthe handle I08 against the handle 60 causes the pin I06 and wire I02 tobe moved toward the pump head 36. The other end of the wire I02 isprojected into the valve chamber 90 and presses the ball check valve 92against its seat I32.v 1

As the lever 60 is raised and lowered, in the normal pumping operation,lubricant is forced through the conduit I2 and coupler-Id into thefitting I5 connected to the bearing to be lubri-' cated. Aftersuflicient lubricant has been supplied to the bearing, the handles 60and I08 are released, thereby allowing the spring II2 to force thehandles 60 and I08 apart and to pull the end of the wire I02 away fromthe ball check valve 92. Consequently, the grease under pressure in theconduit I2 and in the chamber 16 around the piston rod 52 forces theball check valve 92 away from its seat 82, thereby allowing thelubricant to flow upwardly through the passage 80 and pressure in thechamber I6, hose I2, and coil-- pler Id.

Since thepressure within the hose I2 has been relieved the coupler I Imay be easily removed from the fitting I5 and no lubricant will dripfrom the coupler.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention,it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art thatvariations may be made in the construction disclosed without departingfrom the basic features of my invention I therefore do not wish to belimited to the precise construction disclosed, but wish to includewithin the scope of my invention all such modifications and variationswhich will readily suggest themselves.

What I claim as new and desired to secureby United States Letters Patentis:

1. In a high pressure lubricant compressor, the combination of'lubricant pumping mechanism, a discharge conduit for said pumpingmechanism, a two-part handle for operating said pumping mechanism, apassageway connecting the dis- .charge conduit with said reservoir forrelieving the pressure in the former, a valve operable to close saidpassageway, and means operated by one of the parts of said handle whenmoved with respect to the other part for holding said valve closed.

2. A high pressure lubricant compressor comprising a reservoir, acylinder receiving lubricant from said reservoir, a piston reciprocablein said cylinder, a discharge conduit connected to said cylinder toreceive lubrincant therefrom, a pas! sageway connecting said cylinderadjacent said discharge conduit with said reservoir, a valve operable toclose said passageway, a manually operable handle for reciprocatingsaid. piston; and means connected to said handle for closing said valvethereby to prevent the escape of lubricant from said cylinder throughsaid passageway.

3. A high pressure lubricant compressor having a discharge conduit, andmeans for relieving the pressure in said discharge conduit comprising avent passageway permitting escape of lubricant from said dischargeconduit, a valve for controlling the flow of lubricant through saidpassageway opening in the direction jof the escape flow through saidpassageway, manually operable means remote from said valve forcontrolling the operation thereof, and mechanical means for transmittingmotion from said last named means to said valve.

4. A high pressurelubricant compressor comprising a lubricant pumpingmechanism, a reservoir for supplying lubricant to said pumpingmechanism, a discharge conduit connected to the outlet of said pumpingmechanism, a handle for operating said pumping mechanism, said handlehaving a grip portion, a lever pivoted to said handle and lying adjacentsaid grip portion so as to be capable of being grasped in one hand withsaid grip portion, valve controlled means for relieving the pressure inthe outlet of said pumping mechanism, and means connected with saidlever for operating said valve.

5. In a high pressure lubricant compressor, the combination of areservoir having a filling openervoir for pivotal movement in a bearingabout an axis perpendicular to the plane of said opening, said bearinghaving a passageway connecting said reservoir and the pressure side ofsaid pumping mechanism, a discharge conduit connected to the outlet ofsaid pumping mechanism,

and a manually controlled valve for optionally closing said passageway.

6. In a high pressure lubricant compressor, the combination of lubricantpumping mechanism, a discharge conduit for said pumping mechanism, ahandle for operating said pumping mechanism, a passageway connecting thedischarge conduit w.th said reservoir for relieving the pressure in theformer, a valve operable to close said passageway, and means associatedwith said handle for holding said valve closed incidental to theoperation of said compressor by means of sai handle.

7. A high pressure lubricant compressor comprising a reservoir, acylinder receiving lubricant from said reservoir; a valved pistonreciprocable in said cylinder, a discharge conduit connected to theoutlet end ofjsaid cylinder, a passageway connecting the outlet end ofsaid cylinder with said reservoir, manually operable means forreciprocating said piston, and means carried by said manually operablemeans and operable independently of the reciprocation of said piston bysaid manually operable means for preventing at will the escape oflubricant from said cylinder through said passageway.

8. A lubricant compressor comprising a reservoir, a pump cylinder havinga piston reciprocable therein, a handle operatively connected to saidpiston, a pressure release passageway connecting said cylinder and saidreservoir, a valve for closing said pressure release passageway during alubricating operation, a lever positioned near said pump handle andpivotally connected thereto and a Bowden wire having one end connectedto said lever to be actuated thereby, the other end of said Bowden wirebeing operable to close said valve when said lever is moved to aposition closely adjacent said handle.

9. A high pressure lubricant compressor 'comprising a reservoir, apumping mechanism fed from said reservoir and having an outlet, adischarge conduit connected to the outlet of said pumping mechanism,means for operating said pumping mechanism, a member having a passagewayconnected to said outlet for venting the latter, a valve in saidpassageway normally opening under thepressure of lubricant supplied bysaid pumping mechanism, and means carried by said pump operating meansfor closing said valve at will.

ERNEST W. DAVIS.

